T- Taste is a bit underwhelming at first - on the watery side, but it is fruity with a nice balance of grainy malt. No hop presence as expected, but the wheat gives just a hint of fruity citrus. Overall it is well balanced and quite tasty - just wish the flavors were a bit more concentrated, especially in regards to banana, which is very mild and easy to miss.

M - As I said, a touch on the watery side. Would have preferred a bit more creaminess here, or even the firmness that wheat can give.

D - Very high, given the ABV and overall excellent balance. Definitely won't fatigue the palate, and I had no problem downing the 1 pt .9 oz bottle quickly... if the flavors were turned up a notch, this would be a go to hefe, but for me I prefer some others such as Weihenstephaner.

More User Reviews:

One of my favorites of the style for sure,pours a deep hazy yellow color with a great big rocky head.The aroma is very banana-like with some decent spiciness add a lemon and its awesome.Just plain easy to drink great on a hot day,a traditional favorite.

Appearance: 330ml bottle. Pours a cloudy caramel colour with an enormous white head that holds up well.

Smell: The nose is bursting with citrus and spicey notes. The classic banana is present s well.

Taste: Automatically light and tangy on the palate. Light spicey tongue and a tartness at the back of the mouth, possibly lemon. Hints of clovey spice and nutmeg. An underlying banana flavour is present as well.

Mouthfeel: Light and spritzy. A carbonated and lively glass.

Drinkablilty: A very nice hefeweizen for almost any occassion. Good complexity and balance and also light enough to be drinkable anytime.

Served (myself) in the tall Paulaner glass that I bought at the Salvation Army for less than a dollar. Poured cloudy yellow with a beautifully thick, creamy head. Smelled like summertime in a glass; flowery and citric. Lingering tangy yeast aftertaste. Wow. This is the best hefe my tongue has ever touched, so I had to give it a 5 for taste. I cannot imagine a more refreshing beer. So smooth and easy to drink. What really boggles my mind is that supposedly there are BETTER hefeweizens out there. Bring them to me!

Appearance  This had a gorgeous Hefe Weizen appearance. The body was a thick and very hazy orange and the head was monstrous, foaming up rightly. It settled slowly into volcanic pits on top of the bier.

Smell  This is as authentic as it gets. The aroma is pure, unadulterated yeast with some light, fruity notes. You can almost literally chew on the aroma of this weizen.

Taste  This is awesome. The big yeast notes from the nose jumped right into the mouth at first sip (its still quite cold). Im actually mashing my teeth as I drink. Im sure the flavors would come out even more if I had the patience to let this one warm . . . but I dont.

Theres a slight uncomfortable sharpness in the hops, which probably is all thats keeping me from 5ing the taste, but this one is excellent on all accounts. The finish is dominated by the soft, luscious fruits that make up a traditional Hefe Weizen. The banana is wonderfully mixed with some peaches, cherries, and a splash of fresh orange.

Mouthfeel  Medium-bodied and quite big for a weizen, but the story here is the full, fluffy consistency. Its almost like eating bread dough, its just that good.

Drinkability  Im picking up a case this weekend and vow never to let the supply get below three or four. This is a must have staple for anyone who enjoys the style.

Comments  This is right on par with the WEIHENSTEPHANER with much better availability.

Update  I initially rated this with a 2003 vintage so thought it would be interesting to re-review it after being on the site now for a year and a half. I did a mini taste test with a few other weizens when I had this one, a 2004 vintage.

It really is a terrific example of the style. I feel like Im going back in time to when I lived in Bayern whenever I drink a Paulaner Hefe Weizen. I personally favor a bit of uneven flavor bias towards the yeast for this particular style, so this one is right up my alley.

Perhaps 4th or 5th on my list of preferred hefes. Wonderful cloudy orange with a thick bright white head, tiny carbonation that never dies, and one hell of a luscious creamy body. Aromas of bananas and cloves are intense to say the least. Mouthfeel is exceptionally rich and almost milkshake like. Flavors of dark fruits balance the twangy citrus and wheat. Very refreshing and enjoyable. Drinkable in the extreme.

First - the foam! Incredible. Pure white, thick and steady, looks like snow:This can’t be true. Unless - you have the budget for serious R&D and can employ top engineers.No question that you can get to this appearance (the color and look in general are a piece of art) - without intervention of technology, deep engineering know how and who-knows which chemical manipulation.Having said that, this is what you get in every industrial beer you put into your mouth, so while we`re at it - lets have it top-class. And this is what you get in this Heffe-Weis.

Taste, smell and feel - FUN.Tasty, smells great, feels great - how much do they invest in R&D and engineers anyway?Feels like: a lot.

Highly recommended, and I’ll be drinking lots of this nice little cutie.

This beer is a cloudy dried lemon rind color with a dull luster and modest two inch head that doesn't make it very long but leaves a whispy lacing. The nose is musty wheat with very muted clove and overpowering bubblegum.

Taste is light and tangy, camomile hints, and big citrus flavor. Not much clove and actually not much of that bubblegum that was in the nose. Good astringent contribution from the wheat. This beer is a different animal on tap. Rediculously fresh tasting. The mouthfeel is thiner but still good. This is always a dependably tasty beer. I I made short work of a wiesse glass full.

A-Cloudy yellow/orangeS-Clove, musty yeast, little spice, some wheat grainT-Some banana, clove, lemon citrus, wheat grain aftertaste, a little bit of sweet flavor as well M-Medium but effervescent in the mouthD-I can drink a few of those at a time

Very nice hefe-there are a few better that have more spice flavor in the nose and taste but this is solid.

It is a toss up between this beer and the Spaten Hefe as to which one is my favorite. This one poured a hazy golden color with a great head that finally subsided and left lots of luscious lace down the side of my glass. The smell was of bananna, clove and spices. The taste was awesome with large doses of bananna flavor and a slight hoppiness to it as well. The finnish was a great lemony sourness and the mouthfeel was creamy and grand. If one does not enjoy this beer, then one cannot be a fan of this style!

This pours a nice deep golden color with a fluffy head from the big pint bottle. The smell is of a mix of banana, clove and spiciness along with some other light fruity, grainy tones. A nice nose overall.

The first sip has a nice underlying banana wheat flavor which mingles with spicy notes. Clove, pepper and fresh baked bread come to mind for me. Overall, a nice flavor that is quite enjoyable.

Mouthfeel is well done. Very smooth and easy to drink. Carbonation is good. Drinkability is good as well. A six pack of this would be a good choice for a get together with friends or a quiet evening at home.

It's big for a wheat beer, with ample complexity. The appearance is a caramel color, with some cloudyess, a frothy white head and tight bubbles. One could compare it to the appearance of meringue. Aroma is ripe fruit, with spice- clove, allspice. Taste follows with smooth bananas and spice. Mouthfeel is rounded. Excellent finish with some dryness, though just a little. I thought that it could be compared to mixing a Hoegaarden and a Leffe, with the complexity of Leffe and the refreshing quality of Hoegaarden.

Purchased this sample in the can, while I was in Berlin in September of 2002. 0.5l can.

Pours a dark amber beer, unfiltered, cloudy and topped with a most gorgeous white foam head that can literally stand out of the glass; retains a wonderful sticking lace, too. Aroma is a bit earthy and yeasty with hints of lemon and coarse spices.

Silky smooth luscious mouthfeel; heavenly. Nice banana bread sweetness and flavour up-front, with a clove/herbal spice in the backbone. A refreshing carbonation pricks the palate. Faint bubble gum flavours grip the sides of the palate and dry out with flavours likened to chewing bubble gum for too long. Grain coarseness becomes more pronounced, with yeast flavours on the edges. Crisp, lemony hop bitterness helps to break things up and livens the palate. Malty sweetness pulls thru again, dissipating into the crisp, dry and grainy finish.